Noe Rico is a tomato farmer in Mexico who was seeking “a solution for resilience from the instability of fertiliser prices”, writes Julia Chudnobsky, Sustainability and Carbon Officer, HomeBiogas.
Noe turned to using HomeBiogas Bio-fertilizer for his tomatoes and with HomeBiogas’s self-made bio-fertiliser, he produces 30% more tomatoes per month.
In addition, his tomatoes are bigger, healthier and tastier. Noe claims he is saving $1,200 a year by using this new fertilizer mix, along with a 30% increase in production of bigger, healthier and tastier products.
HomeBiogas developed a system which transforms organic waste into Bio-fertilizer, on-site.
A recent research conducted on HomeBiogas’ Bio-fertilizer’s impact on the soil revealed interesting findings, assisting farmers around the world to grow stronger and healthier crops.
Farmers around the world are aware that there is one variable that has the ability to determine yield, plant health, pest resistance, soil enhancement and more factors : This variable is fertilizer.
There are many available fertilizers on the market today that use chemicals to enhance crop growth, however, the cost of these fertilizers are on the rise due to the resource prices it costs to produce them.
The high cost of gas has halted many fertilizer production facilities completely, causing the fertilizer costs to soar, which results in disruption of farmers’ margins, and sometimes leaves them without fertilizer at all, destroying their profitability.
Farmers are Fighting Back
Farmers can use a resource that enables them to independently produce endless free bio-fertiliser to balance chemical fertilizer cost surge and shortage.
HomeBiogas has developed a system which is fed agricultural waste and in turn produces organic liquid Bio-fertilizer.
Recently, research was conducted to test the impact of HomeBiogas’ bio-fertilizer on yield, plant health, pest resistance, soil enhancement and enhancement of stalks as animal feeds. The experiment showcased the influence of Bio-fertilizer on the whole production cycle, performed on maize.
The research was conducted through a long rainy season with an aim to assess the potential utilization of the Bio-fertilizer in maize production.
The experimental design involved two variables which included the bio-fertilizer and maize growth cycle using different treatments.
This was to demonstrate the relationship between Bio-fertilizer treatment in maize production. The impact on maize growth was dependent on the bio-fertilizer treatment in each plot.
The research showed that there was a 200% increase in the amount of the macro nutrients in the soil and a well-balanced level of the micronutrients and organic matter.
The Bio-fertilizer improved yield by 35% when reducing the chemical use by 50% and increased yield by 6% by reducing chemicals by 100%. Moreover, the yield also included the increase of maize straws used as animal feeds, increasing it by 35% in biomass.
Additional benefits to utilizing the HomeBiogas Bio-fertilizer
Once waste is deposited into a HomeBiogas system, it automatically feeds into a digester tank. Two byproducts are created by anaerobic digestion: renewable energy in the form of biogas and organic, liquid Bio-fertilizer.
The biogas can be used to operate other functions of the farm while the Bio-fertilizer can boost the output of the farm.
Producing Bio-fertilizer from agricultural farm waste allows farmers to use their waste, which usually needs to be managed, to cut costs.
Not only does it alleviate the cost of chemical fertilizer, but also the cost of waste management.
- In addition to reducing overall costs,usage of biofertilizer created by a HomeBiogas system, – Improves fertilization efficiency;
- Decreases pesticide and fungicide use to strengthen crops and soil;
- Increases overall yield by improving water and nutrient consumption for healthier, stronger plants;
- Integrates easily with existing irrigation systems;
- Enhances farmer resilience by enabling independent production of endless free biofertilizer to balance chemical fertilizer cost surges and shortage.
In conclusion, throwing out agricultural waste is a missed opportunity to grow additional, stronger crops while lowering costs.
The integration of Bio-fertilizer for farming can provide tremendous benefits to the overall profitability of farmers who integrate the resource for growing crops and feed for livestock.
